2 Returning

[At that time… I should convince them harder then all of this wouldn't happened. Ali will not be missing and he will still be a 'normal' child like other. ]

[This is all my fault…]

….

Opened my eyes, I was shocked. Why did I dream about that again? Almost after 17 years…

[Ladies and Gentlemen, we shortly will be landing at Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin. The local time now is 20 minutes past 11 a.m. The time in Banjarmasin is 1 hours ahead of Jakarta.

Please--]

As I wake up, my plane will land. It was almost 17 years ago, yet… I still can't forget that accident?

I let out a harsh breath.

17 years…

After 17 years, I stepped in here again. I come back after 17 years passed. This place changed so much from the last time I was here. How many things that will stay the same? This place give me a feeling of nostalgia and also stranger.

….

"Amel…!" A mature woman yelled in kitchen to call someone.

"Amel…" Called her once again after repeating it many times, a young girl come to the kitchen with pouting. She was upset.

"What is it, Mom?" The girl named Amel asked her mom, who had been calling her name.

"Amel, quickly change your clothes and go to airport. Today your cousin Adam come back after 17 years. So be quick, his plane should have already arrived. Don't let him wait for too long.

Hearing what her mom said, she was not happy at all. There was an awful look on her face.

"Why do I need to pick him?" She asked annoyedly with some snide remark, "He's already big enough to go by himself. He's not a boy, Mom."

"Yes, he already grow up to be a handsome 24 year old young man. But Amel… it already 17 years since he come here. And there is so many changes around here. He might not be familiar with that."

Amel rolled her eyes at her mom's words, she dislike it when her mom pamper Adam, her cousin, like that.

"So what?! He can just grab taxi and get over here!" Amel voice raise a little without her notice.

"Amel!" Ratna frowned at her daughter's words. "No matter how, Adam is still your cousin, you need be nice with him. He never did bad thing to you, so why you so despite him like that?"

"Did no bad thing? Mom, are you serious? Adam is jinxed! Look at what he had done to me in the past? He always told me creepy thing, like there was an old lady that stalked me and I shouldn't do this, do that, and other stuff. He was annoying! Trouble maker! And you must remembered, because of him, Ali changed! He--"

"AMEL!!!" Ratna slam the table, cutting her daughter's words.

"He is your cousin!" She was vexed with her own daughter's manner.

"Huh…" Amel sneered. She was furious with what her mom did. Why did she need to protect him? She felt that was not fair.

"Whatever! Pick him up yourself!" She shouted as she walked away to her room.

"Amel!" Ratna called her daughter again but she didn't get any responses.

…..

With fury, she closed her door with a loud 'bang'. And paced in her room.

"He, my cousin?" She harrumphed with that. "Who care if he's my cousin or not. Who would believe something like he have a 'gift' to see what other can't see."

"Mom… mom, mom, how old-fashioned are you to believe those stuffs too? In this era? This time? Who will believe about ghost and supernatural? Our family have supernatural inheritance? Bullsh*t! If so… why is it just Adam that got to inherit that ability? Why?! Obviously that's just a lie. If not our family would already be rich and secure family, also famous too."

She continued her complain and tantrums mostly about Adam and his ability, also this family who so call 'inheritance history's about something that is illogical like supernatural being. She didn't stop until she heard something.

She suddenly heard some noise like scratching noises and something fallen. Hearing that, her body stiffened on the spot. She kinda afraid to turn her gaze at that source. Holding a breath, she braved herself to turn around.

She released that breath when she saw that the fallen object was only her dakon* board. She walked and picked it up to place it again on her table.

As she did that, she never noticed there was something under her bed. Something…

….

Ring…

My phone rang, I picked it up and answered it.

"Hello… Ah, Assalamualaikum* Aunt, how are you?" I said as I'm so surprised and happy the one that called me was my aunt that I haven't seen for a long time.

[Waalaikumsalam* Adam.] She replied my greetings. There was hesitation I can felt from her voice.

"Aunt Ratna, what happened? Was there something happened?" I asked her in worry.

She sighed and finally spoke [Sorry Adam, looks like Aunt can't pick you up and Amel... ] She sighed again before continuing her words [That silly girl, don't know what's wrong with her, she seems to be in a bad mood since morning and refused to go to pick you up. I'm so sorry Adam, you have to go by yourself. You can find a taxi to reach our home.]

She said as she felt uncomfortable with guilt every time she spoke her words.

I smiled and looked at the sky. "It's okay Aunt, I was the one that should apologize. I have inconvenienced you."

Ratna ward off my words, she's still uncomfortable. But I tried to convince her.

"That's okay, I can go there by myself. You don't need worry Aunty." I calmed her down. "Okay, bye Aunt, see you there." I said as I end the call.

I took a breath, I might know why Amel refused to meet me here. Maybe she still dislike me like before. (It's been 17 years, Amel…) I murmured.

(It's already 17 years and you're still avoiding me? Then… what about him?)

(Ali… ) I called that name and memories about him in my mind. I truly can't forget about him and what happened in the past.

(How is he now? Is he doing fine? Have he got a good life after that?) All I thought was just about him. We've been best friend before that accident. Even so… after then we never talked nor met again. His mother hated me. She never let me met him again. She almost killed me too.

4 months passed, and I celebrated my 7th birthday at same time passing a grade. But Ali never show up again in school and that time, my father reassigned to another location. Which meant I would have to go with them to Jakarta. Thought that maybe we will never meet again, I made resolution and brave myself to go to Ali's home again. I thought I was lucky because I saw him but it wasn't. Her mother broke down and hysterically shouted at me. She was so paranoid as if I will do something to her son.

Not long after, I heard his mother become deranged. I regret to leave without seeing him. Maybe that was the reason I had that dream again? After 17 years?

Thinking again, I thought, has Ali still live at the same house after that? Or did he move?

I planned to visit him again after I settled my stuff.

*****

Note :

*Assalamualaikum = May peace be upon you.

*Waalaikumsalam = Peace be upon you too

Muslim greetings.

*Dakon or Congklak is a simple game that sharpens children's calculation and awareness. Uniquely this game trains the child's trading spirit, and the sharpness of thinking to take advantage. Generally Dakon boards are made of wood and plastic and a kind of shellfish used as Dakon seeds and if not present, sometimes grain from plants is also used. For economic purposes (a.k.a when you're too lazy to buy seeds) it can be substituted with pebble. (I.e., editor's childhood's dakon board was full of pebble)

Author : "...." 😑